1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automated small object counting and dispensing systems and particularly to prescription filling systems. More particularly, this invention relates to such a system having automated pill and capsule counting apparatus and a bulk pill and capsule security, matching and verification system.
2. Description of Related Art
With increasing demand for orally administered medicine in recent years, automated prescription filling systems have come into their own worldwide. Such systems draw from bulk canisters of pills to count out exact quantities for smaller containers individualized to particular patients. Aside from the need to track through such systems the particular bottle to be associated with said patient, accurate counting systems are required to assure that neither too many nor too few pills are dispensed into the bottle.
Many systems rely upon optical sensors to count pills as they drop into a bottle stationed below the canister. Accuracy of optical sensors, however, may be handicapped in several ways. First, pills falling through the space where the sensor is focused may stick together or otherwise group to mislead the sensor into thinking only a single pill fell when in fact more than one did. Further, should too many pills fall into the dispenser, nothing short of dumping the pills and starting over with the filling process will assure an accurate count. Means for precise counting of pills in advance of their being committed to a bottle would bring a desirable measure of precision to the dispensing problem.